The Ultimate Hibernation Tutorial - AntsCanada Tutorial #21
Summary
TLDRIn this educational video, 'ants Canada AKA Mikey Boos' explores the concept of hibernation in insects, particularly ants. He explains the difference between endothermy and ectothermy, highlighting how ants, being poikilothermic and ectothermic, slow down during winter due to reduced metabolic rates. The video also covers how ants prepare for hibernation and the importance of maintaining proper humidity during this period. It concludes with practical advice for ant keepers on how to manage their colonies during the winter months.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Insects have conquered almost all parts of the planet and many, like ants, hibernate during winter.
- 🌡 Homeotherms, such as humans and birds, maintain a constant internal body temperature regardless of the environment, a process known as endothermy.
- 🐍 Poikilotherms, like reptiles and amphibians, have body temperatures that fluctuate with the environment, a process called ectothermy.
- 🐜 Ants are classified as poikilothermic and ectothermic, meaning their body temperature and physiological processes are influenced by the environment.
- 🔥 Heat energy is crucial for biochemical reactions within an animal's body, with endotherms maintaining a constant rate regardless of external temperatures.
- ❄️ Ectotherms like ants slow down their physiological processes when it's cold, which is why they hibernate during winter to conserve energy.
- 🥶 The benefit of being poikilothermic and ectothermic is a lower net demand for energy and food, especially during colder periods.
- 🛑 Ants undergo a form of hibernation called bradymetabolism, which is a low metabolic speed during resting periods, often in response to food availability and temperature.
- 🐻 Other bradymetabolic creatures include bears and chipmunks, which also hibernate during winter due to a biological clock and environmental cues.
- 🏠 To hibernate ants, keepers should place them in a cold environment, typically between 2°C and 10°C, and ensure adequate humidity.
- 💧 Ants produce glycerol as an antifreeze in their hemolymph, which prevents their tissues from freezing at temperatures below 0°C.
Q & A
What is the main topic of the video by ants Canada AKA Mikey Boos?
-The main topic of the video is about hibernation in ants and what happens to them during the winter.
What are the two types of body temperature regulation mentioned in the script?
-The two types of body temperature regulation mentioned are endothermy, where warm-blooded animals maintain a constant internal body temperature, and poikilothermy, where cold-blooded animals' internal temperature follows the environmental temperature.
What is the term used to describe animals that do not internally regulate their body temperature like homeotherms do?
-The term used is 'poikilothermy', also known as cold-bloodedness.
How do ectothermic animals regulate their body temperature?
-Ectothermic animals regulate their body temperature through external means such as basking in the sun to warm up or retreating to shade or water to cool off.
Why do ants and other poikilothermic animals slow down in the winter?
-Ants and other poikilothermic animals slow down in the winter because their body temperature and the rate of biological processes are affected by the colder environmental temperature.
What is the advantage of being a poikilotherm or ectotherm in terms of energy and food demand?
-The advantage is that poikilotherms and ectotherms have a lower net demand for energy and food, especially during colder temperatures when their metabolic processes slow down.
What is 'Brady metabolism' and how does it relate to hibernation in ants?
-'Brady metabolism' refers to a low metabolic speed during a resting period, often in response to food availability and temperature. It relates to hibernation in ants as they undergo this process, slowing down their metabolism during winter even if kept warm.
Why do ants still hibernate even if kept warm during the winter months?
-Ants hibernate even if kept warm during the winter months because they follow a biological clock and their evolution has instilled in them the trigger to hibernate when it is naturally cold and food is scarce.
What is the role of glycerol in ants during hibernation?
-Glycerol acts as an antifreeze in ants, preventing their tissues from freezing at temperatures below 0 Celsius.
What temperature range is recommended for hibernating ants according to the video?
-The recommended temperature range for hibernating ants is between 2° C and 10° C.
Why is humidity important during the hibernation of ants?
-Humidity is important during hibernation to ensure that the ants have access to moisture, which is necessary for their survival even though they do not require food during this period.
Outlines
🌍 Hibernation and Insect Physiology
This paragraph introduces the concept of hibernation in insects and explains the difference between homeotherms and poikilotherms. It highlights that insects, including ants, are ectothermic, meaning their body temperature is influenced by the environment. The paragraph also discusses the biochemical reactions within an organism and how temperature affects these processes. It explains that in cold conditions, ectotherms like ants slow down their physiological processes, leading to a state of hibernation. The summary emphasizes the importance of maintaining a constant body temperature for homeotherms and the energy-saving benefits of being a poikilotherm.
🛑 Ant Hibernation and Bradymetabolic Traits
The second paragraph delves into the specifics of ant hibernation, focusing on the bradymetabolic nature of ants. It describes how ants, as bradymetabolic organisms, can slow their metabolism significantly during periods of rest, especially in response to temperature and food availability. The paragraph explains that even if ants are kept warm during winter, they will still hibernate due to their biological clock and evolutionary instincts. It also touches on the concept of estivation, which is a similar process that occurs in response to high temperatures or lack of food. The summary provides practical advice for ant keepers on how to manage their colonies during winter, including the ideal temperature range for hibernation and the importance of maintaining humidity.
🎉 Conclusion and Antkeeping Break
The final paragraph serves as a conclusion to the video, summarizing the importance of hibernation for both ants and their keepers. It emphasizes the benefits of hibernation for the ants, such as prolonging the queen's life by giving her a break from egg-laying. The paragraph also highlights the opportunity for ant keepers to take a break and refresh their interest in antkeeping. The summary ends with a call to action for viewers to subscribe to the channel and support the content creators.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Hibernation
💡Poikilothermy
💡Ectothermy
💡Bradymetabolism
💡Endothermy
💡Metabolism
💡Glycerol
💡Formicarium
💡Estivation
💡Hemolymph
💡Ant Keeping
Highlights
Ants and other insects are poikilothermic and ectothermic, meaning their body temperature follows the environmental temperature.
Warm-blooded animals like humans, mammals, and birds are homeothermic, maintaining a constant body temperature regardless of the environment.
Endothermy is the process of temperature regulation in homeotherms, allowing them to keep their bodies warm through shivering and sweating.
Ectotherms regulate their body temperature by basking in the sun to warm up and retreating to shade or water to cool off.
Ants are categorized as poikilothermic and ectothermic animals, affected by external temperature changes.
Heat energy affects biochemical reactions in animals, with endotherms maintaining constant internal body temperature for optimal metabolism.
Ectotherms like ants have body temperatures that match their surroundings, affecting their digestion, movement, and metabolism.
Ants slow down in cold temperatures, experiencing reduced feeding, movement, growth, and metabolism.
Poikilothermy and ectothermy in ants lead to lower energy and food demands compared to homeotherms.
Ants undergo hibernation in winter due to their biological clock, even if kept warm, as part of their Brady metabolism.
Brady metabolism refers to a low metabolic speed during resting periods, often in response to food availability and temperature.
Ants prepare for hibernation by decreasing appetite and activity, and some may block off nest entrances.
Ants do not require food during hibernation, as their biological processes are slowed down to a near shutdown mode.
Estivation is a process similar to hibernation, where ants shut down in response to high temperatures or insufficient food.
Ants produce glycerol in their hemolymph, acting as an antifreeze to prevent freezing at temperatures below 0°C.
Hibernating ants should be kept between 2°C and 10°C, and maintaining humidity is crucial during this period.
Ants Canada is releasing a helpful product to assist in the hibernation process for both ants and their keepers.
Hibernation gives ants a break, potentially prolonging the lives of queens, and allows ant keepers a respite from constant care.
Transcripts
[Music]
damn these clows I don't know what it is
I got something gets them working
hypnotize them I
[Music]
already hey what's up guys it's your boy
an Canada AKA Mikey Boos bringing you
another random uh ant video I'm here in
the cockpit of private jet this the
steering
wheel the private jet and we have a our
assistant Captain
here look at all the buttons here you
know you really have to kind of know
what you're doing so for all those who
have gone flying this is exactly what it
looks like in the Pilot's area and uh
we're going to uh have a little bit of
fun here but I wanted to say uh insects
have conquered almost all parts of the
planet and unless you're a monarch
butterfly uh which migrates and pretty
much flies to
Mexico you're going to have to hibernate
so uh this video I wanted to do uh is a
video about hibernation and uh exactly
what happens during the winter to all of
the colonies so watch this next video
thank
you warm-blooded animals or homeotherms
like humans other mammals and birds are
biologically designed to keep their
internal body at an optimal and constant
warm temperature despite what is going
on in their our environment when it's
too cold we shiver when it's too hot we
sweat to drop our body temperature to
Optimal levels this internal process of
temperature regulating like shivering
and sweating is called endothermy the
body temperature regulating mechanisms
of endothermy allow homeotherms to keep
their bodies at a constant warm
temperature the opposite of homeothermy
is poikilothermy or in layman's terms
cold-bloodedness poikilothermy is a term
that describes animals that do not
internally regulate their body
temperature in the same manner
homeotherms do but rather whose internal
temperature follows the environmental
outside temperature
fluctuations to regulate their body
temperature poikilotherms Thermo
regulate and bask in the sun to warm up
and Retreat to shade or water to cool
off a process called ectothermy where
body regulating is more external in
nature reptiles amphibians most fish and
most invertebrates which of course
include ants and other insects fall
under this category of poikilothermic
and ectothermic animals animals can fall
into one some or all of the four
aformentioned groups example lions are
homeothermic and endothermic but they
can cheat by basking in the sun which is
ectothermic bees are poikilothermic and
ectothermic but can use their wing
muscles to generate heat which makes
them also endothermic for our purposes
though ants fall under the categories of
poikilothermic and ectothermic
now let's look at why animals need heat
in their bodies in the first place and
why ants physiologically shut down in
the winter heat energy affects the
multitude of biochemical reactions that
take place in the body of an animal
enzyme activity or metabolism for
instance as well as other biochemical
reactions within the body are optimized
at rather specific warm temperatures
endotherms as mentioned keep their
internal bodies at a constant warm
temperature regardless of what
temperature it is outside of the body
and as a result our metabolism and
digestion remains constant our breathing
remains relatively constant our muscles
and movement remain relatively constant
our brain and nervous activity and our
circulatory systems remain relatively
constant in cold or hot weather
ectotherms like ants however have body
temperatures that match the temperature
of their surroundings and because
temperature affects the rate of
biological processes when it's really
warm outside the temperature inside
their bodies are warm and biological
processes occur at a higher optimal rate
they digest food faster they convert
food to energy faster which means they
move quicker they are hungrier their
mental and nervous processes are quicker
their cells reproduce quicker they grow
quicker Queens produce eggs more quickly
Pupi develop faster in the Heat and
everything is just so much quicker when
it's warm when their ambient temperature
is cold then their bodies are cold and
the physiological processes greatly slow
down therefore when winter approaches or
when it gets cold ants and other insects
simply slow down feeding movement growth
and Metabolism slow down considerably
which is why when you stick your ants in
the fridge or when you place your ants
in a cold basement during the winter
they are slow moving biologically
speaking the benefit of poikilothermy
and ectothermy as an effective
evolutionary strategy is its lower net
demand for energy and food while
homeotherms like we humans have to
ingest more food and water the colder it
gets outside the body in order to fuel
our bodies to work at keeping our
insides optimally warm poikilotherms and
ectotherms at colder temperatures simply
don't have that same demand for food
because everything running in them is
slower meaning food demands are lower
during winter hibernation ants don't
require food at all because they
essentially are slowed down to a virtual
shutdown mode due to the cold during
winter hibernation typical ant keeping
maintenance goes way
down so now that we have that explained
some ant Keepers might ask why is it
that if one tries to keep ants warm
during the winter months the ant
colonies still appear to slow down and
undergo a hibernation period as if it
were cold well there's another process
Happening Here aside from being
poikilothermic and ectothermic ants also
fall under the category of Brady
metabolic organisms Brady metabolism
refers to a low metabolic speed during a
resting period in many cases in response
to food availability and temperature
many Brady metabolic creatures in
deserts and in areas that experience
extreme Winters are capable of shutting
down their metabolisms to approach
near-death States until favorable
conditions return in the case of winters
the process is called hibernation Brady
metabolic animals that shut down in the
winter include Bears Chipmunks and ants
if you keep ants warm during the winter
they still undergo hibernation because
they run on a biological clock and will
simply hibernate even if it's warm their
evolution has instilled in them the
trigger to hibernate during the winter
months when it is naturally cold and
food is scarce once fall comes around
ants will naturally begin to prepare for
hibernation and you will notice
appetites decreasing and general
activity slowly decreasing the ants may
attempt to block off the entrances to
their nests some will Gorge themselves
with food enough to sustain themselves
through the several winter months of
zero foraging by winter they sit still
and body movement is is minimal they act
as if they are cold even if you try to
fool them into thinking it's summer
during the winter months by heating
their nests ants even show evidence of
radiom metabolism when it gets too hot
or when there is insufficient food a
process called estivation estivation can
be seen in false Honeypot ants penus and
Paris during the hot summers and the
Ants shut down until temperatures drop
to cooler temperatures you also May
notice that when ants are not provided
with sufficient nutrition they will
undergo an escavation period many ant
keepers have written to us asking why
their ants have been inactive in the
middle of summer as if entering
hibernation now you know they're
estivating due to high temperatures or
lack of proper nourishment in summary
then ants shut down and hibernate in the
winter due to poikilothermy and
ectothermy and due to Brady metabolism
okay so at what temperature does an ant
keeper hibernate their ants and how does
do it essentially you need to place your
ants in a very cold place and though it
gets very cold outside placing the ants
outside may possibly kill them although
there are species that can take some
very cold temperatures as low as -25° c
as observed in leptothorax most ants
simply dig deeper into the ground where
it stays a few degrees warmer than above
ground if you can place your ants in the
fridge do so on low setting or you can
place them in an unheated room in a
basement or in a garage
temperatures just a few degrees above
freezing should be enough although if
you live in warmer temperate regions you
might want to make sure it doesn't drop
too low don't worry about the ants
freezing to death in the winter as the
ants produce glycerol in their hemolymph
which acts as an antifreeze which keeps
their tissues from freezing at
temperatures below 0 celsus hibernating
your ants between 2° C and 10° C should
be sufficient though ants don't require
food during the shutting down period one
of the things that is required during
hibernation is humidity and water if
your ants are in a test tube setup you
don't have to worry so much as the water
and humidity are there for them if
you're housing the ants in a formicarium
and outworld setup however you will
definitely need to water the setup so it
stays moist the good news is a cold
formicarium will not lose water as fast
as a warm one so if you are used to
Watering your formicarium on a daily
basis during the warm months you may
notice the formicarium will stay moist
for several days longer than usual
during the winter months the ants Canada
ant store is releasing a helpful product
to make this process easier for both you
and the Ants we hope this tutorial has
helped you gain a better understanding
of this whole hibernation process
hibernation is great as it gives your
ants a nice break is set to prolong the
lives of Queens by giving them a yearly
break from the burdens of egg laying and
also gives ant Keepers a chance to take
a nice break from the demands of
antkeeping which in turn always always
keeps and keeping a fresh and
invigorating experience this is your an
Captain ants Canada signing out thank
you thank you guys for watching our
videos uh if you haven't yet subscribe
to our videos um thank you so much for
the support and spread the love thank
you her fly to the top DJ spin it up up
away can't get down touch the
ground baby take it home with the music
Shake your bones on it on it on it I'm
going jump on it on it on it and on it
it on it I'mma jump on it on it on
it get get down touch the ground run it
baby take it home with the music Shake
your
bones
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